There are lots of ways that you can help reduce stormwater inputs from home. They can be as simple as installing a rain barrel or as complex as a full raingarden. One of our partners, EcoSuperior, has several rebates and subsidies for homeowners to be more environmentally friendly. Visit their website here for more information.

Rain barrels are used to catch water from downspouts of your roof to later be used to water your garden, flowers, or lawn. The land can only absorb so much water during a rain storm and all the excess runs off into the stormwater drainage system. Rain barrels allow you catch that water, instead of it being added to the stormwater system. This saves money when watering plants and lawns, as well as helps save the environment.

Rain gardens are a more complex version of a water barrel. It’s a retention garden of rocks, stones, gravel, and soil that hold and flow the water to the surrounding vegetation. They also reduce flooding and provide habitat for birds, butterflies, and other insects. They are usually vegetated with plants that absorb a lot of water, as well as filter it like reeds, cattails, dogwoods, and grasses.